Джузеппе Баретти: Өмірі мен әдеби мұрасы

Italian born English literary critic and author

Giuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti (24 April 1719, Turin, Piedmont – 5 May 1789, London) was an Italian literary critic, poet, writer, translator, linguist and author of two influential language translation dictionaries. During his years in England he was often known as Joseph Baretti. Baretti's life was marked by controversies, to the point that he had to leave Italy, for England, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Baretti was intended by his father for the profession of law, but at the age of sixteen fled from Turin and went to Guastalla, where he was for some time employed in a mercantile house. He devoted himself to the study of literature and criticism, in which he became an expert, though his writings were so controversial that he had to leave Italy. For many years he led a wandering life, supporting himself chiefly by his writings. At length he arrived in London, where he remained for the remainder of his life (when not travelling). He was appointed Secretary to the Royal Academy of Arts, and became acquainted with Samuel Johnson, Garrick and others of that society. Baretti was a frequent visitor at the home of Hester Thrale, and his name occurs repeatedly in Boswell's Life. In 1769 Baretti was tried for murder after inflicting a mortal wound with his fruit knife on a man who had assaulted him on the street. Johnson and others gave evidence in his favour at the trial, which resulted in Baretti's acquittal. He died in London in May, 1789. He was buried in Marylebone Chapel with a monument by Thomas Banks.

Baretti's first notable work was the Italian Library (1757), a useful catalogue of the lives and works of several Italian authors. The Lettere famigliari, giving an account of his travels through England, Portugal, Spain, and France during the years 1761–1765, were well received, and when afterwards published in English (4 vols., 1770), were highly commended by Johnson. Baretti was an enemy of the English Hispanist John Bowle, and published a scathing and personal attack on him: Tolondron. Speeches to John Bowle about his edition of Don Quixote, together with some account of Spanish literature. While in Italy on his travels Baretti started a journal of literary criticism, titled Frusta letteraria (Literary Scourge). The publication met with considerable difficulties and was soon discontinued. His many other works include a Dictionary and Grammar of the Italian Language, and dissertations on Shakespeare and Voltaire. His collected works were published at Milan in 1838. The words of the recantation attributed to Galileo, "eppur si muove" (meaning "nevertheless it moves"), were first set down by Baretti in his Italian Library. This record was published some 125 years after Galileo is purported to have made the statement sotto voce (under his breath).

On 6 October 1769, Baretti was involved in a scuffle at the Haymarket, an area which was notorious as a place of prostitution and frequented by footpads, with many coffeehouses and shops. This quarrel caused the death of a man, Evan Morgan. In a trial at the Old Bailey on 18 October 1769, Baretti was accused of having stabbed Morgan and was charged with murder. Being a wealthy man, Baretti did not have to suffer very unpleasant conditions. After having been heard by Sir John Fielding, he had been sent to Tothill Fields Bridewell till they could gather more information about the conditions of Evan Morgan, who died the day following the scuffle. Baretti did not walk to the prison, instead, a coach was called and once there he paid for a private room, where he had also some food and drinks. This was not the case of ordinary poor people, who normally had to suffer much worse and primitive treatments, being pushed into an overcrowded cell, without much provision. It is necessary to consider that most information about the trial comes from The Proceedings, a publication which from 1664 to 1913 took note and told all (or at least most) of the trials which took place at the Old Bailey. However, in these accounts and transcriptions of what was said in court we do not find everything. Many details are missing, therefore these are not to be intended as full and complete accounts of trials.

The trial opened with the testimony of Elizabeth Ward, a well known prostitute who described when and where the events started. Following her own account, in the evening on 6 October 1769, between nine and ten, she was sitting down on a step together with another woman in the Haymarket, when the other woman approached Baretti, who was passing through there, and Ward said she thought the other woman had touched him. Ward then accused him of having struck her. She said in that moment there was nobody around, but when she cried out three men arrived, namely Evan Morgan, Thomas Patman and John Clark. One of them asked Baretti how he could strike a woman and then a scuffle followed, Baretti ending up on the ground. Ward saw Baretti take out his knife, but she did not see him using it. She also said that then Baretti ran away and they ran after him. She saw him going into a shop in Panton Street. In cross examination she was asked to give more information about the woman who was with her and Ward said she did not know her, but could only describe her physically. She was asked also more and more details, for example where the other woman put her hands when grabbing Baretti, and she answered she put them towards his private parts. She added she did not know the three men who arrived, but that she remembered having kissed one of them (namely Clark) the night before. The court asked if Baretti had been insulted, she firstly denied, then seemed to be unsure, and added at the end that maybe somebody called him bad names, but she did not know who. Lambert said he was having dinner that night when he heard the cry of "murderer" or "stop murderer" and saw a man pursued by other two or three going into the grocer's shop opposite his house. He went there and saw Patman had blood on him and heard him say he had been stabbed by Baretti. In the meanwhile, a crowd gathered and Lambert asked Baretti to surrender. He then said he thought of carrying Baretti to the round house, but hearing the name of John Fielding Baretti expressed his will to go to him. In cross examinations, Lambert confirmed that Baretti did not try to escape nor to conceal the knife. He added that he himself also tried to find the other prostitute at the Haymarket responsible for having importuned Baretti, but could not. The possibility that Baretti had a lawyer who carried out all the cross examinations we read in the trial transcription is therefore not to be excluded.

After having heard different versions of the facts of the prosecution testimonies, the court let Baretti defend himself and he took the chance to read a text he had previously prepared and written in his defence. He started by narrating the facts of that day. He had spent his day at home working, correcting his Italian and English dictionary and then after 4 pm he went to the club of the Royal Academicians in Soho and he went on explaining his other movements, up until he got to the Haymarket. He said he was passing near there when he saw a woman, who firstly asked him for a glass of wine and then clapped his hand on his genitals with violence, hurting him very much. He also said there might have been two women, as other testimonies claimed, but he only saw one: "They say there were two, but I took notice of but one, as I hope God will save me: there might have been two, though I only saw one: that is a fact".